'The Debate Over Returning to the Office Has Been Quite the Ride' — 6 Companies' Journeys to Remote, Hybrid or In-Person Almost every company has had to figure out which path to take, and there are pros and cons to all of them.
By Frances Dodds Edited by Frances Dodds
This story appears in the March 2025 issue of BIZ Experiences. Subscribe »
These days, where to work is like a choose your own adventure journey! Some businesses are staying fully remote, some are having their employees return to the office full-time, and some are landing somewhere in the middle with a hybrid model. There are tradeoffs and benefts to any arrangement, as you'll hear from business leaders in the following stories. Ultimately, each company has to decide what makes sense for their workforce, and their business.
1. We followed our employees to hybrid.
"We've cycled through in-office, hybrid, and fully remote over the years. Recently, we made the move back to hybrid. We have employees across the U.S., so we always host larger team meetings online. But we have a large cohort of employees in San Diego who desired more in-person time. We find the hybrid blend to be perfect. Remote-first supports flexibility and autonomy. But we also have a central hub available for organic collaborations." — Samantha Pantazopoulos, cofounder, Vizer
2. Remote is best for our team of parents.
"We are remote all the way! My team is made up of many moms, and being remote allows me to flex their schedules to fit their needs. They can be more present and spend more time with their families, and they do better work from home. There are some roles that can't be remote, but anything that can be will be. We have an office employees can work from if they'd like, but only maybe one person works there a few hours a week." — Lisa Mastela, founder, Bumpin Blends
Related: 5 Steps to Implement the Ideal Hybrid Work Model
3. Hybrid gives us office culture and remote talent.
"The debate over returning to the office has been quite the ride. Before the pandemic, we were a close-knit, 20-person team in Scottsdale, Arizona, with some flexibility for remote work. When the pandemic hit, we went fully remote and expanded our hiring nationally to compete for top talent. But as the world reopened, we invested in our in-office culture, which resulted in remote employees feeling left out. This has been challenging. Today, we prioritize hiring in Arizona but remain open to remote talent, with flexible office attendance tailored to each team's needs." — Sasha Robinson, vice president of people operations, Trainual
4. Real relationships happen in person.
"We have returned to the physical workspace, asking team members to come in at least three to four days per week. The risk of remote work is that teams can feel disconnected, or with new hires, never get to know each other. And because our business is largely in retail and within professional skincare salons and spas, relationships are core to our success. That said, we have also aggressively expanded our field sales and virtual classrooms. We call this combination a balance of 'high tech and high touch.'" — Jane Wurwand, founder, Dermalogica
Related: Considering A Hybrid Work Schedule? Here Are The Pros and Cons Of Each Model
5. Hybrid takes continuous effort, but it's worth it.
"Remote working has some major drawbacks for employers. It's more difficult to train and mentor young talent, and harder to create a strong workplace culture. Decision-making is also far quicker and easier in person. But the reality is that if you want to win, you have to foster a culture that welcomes and retains the best talent, and that means embracing flexible and remote working. As an employer with a hybrid workforce, it's a continuous effort to overcome those drawbacks, but in the end, for us it's worth it." — Tomás Froes, founder and CEO, Kencko
6. Remote work is the most efficient option.
"We run a fully remote operation, and it's proven to be incredibly efficient. It lets us tap into talent from anywhere, allowing our team to choose the work environment and schedule that suits them best. While in-person work can streamline meetings and communication, we've recreated that digitally. We hold daily stand-ups, weekly goal-oriented meetings, and maintain constant communication via Slack and email to resolve issues swiftly. Remote work isn't for every business, but it's been key to our success. — Aaron Nosbisch, founder, Brēz
Related: Employers: Hybrid Work is Not The Problem — Your Guidelines Are. Here's Why and How to Fix Them.
